by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Jul 28, 2014 | Blog, Endodontics, Root Canal
Let’s face it, a root canal has been and always will be a much-dreaded procedure. Though the days of root canals being a painful process are long gone, chances are that a person still wishes to avoid the procedure. Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen of Phoenix Endodontic Group performs this effective treatment on a regular basis, and has the following to offer when patients ask how to prevent needing a root canal.
Good dental hygiene and care is the best line of defense when it comes to root canals. It is always suggested that patients brush and floss daily and visit their dentist for regular check-ups both for optimal oral hygiene, and to catch any potential tooth problem in its early stage, Dr. Allen states. Detecting an issue early on can result in a much better chance of saving the tooth. While routine brushing and flossing is a great start, there is no one specific tip that can prevent the need for a patient to have a root canal. The nerves in teeth “go bad” and “die” for different reasons, sometimes with pain and other symptoms and other times with no symptoms at all, says Dr. Allen.
If your general dentist has detected a problem, you may wonder if there is an alternative to a root canal. In lieu of a root canal to treat tooth pain and infection, a patient can elect to have their tooth extracted, place a bone graft and then a dental implant (which then has to be restored), Dr. Allen advises. “If you took a poll, most patients would opt to keep their natural teeth as long as possible”, she continues.
Today’s root canals are very different from stories you’ve heard in the past. Advances in technology and treatment methods over the years mean less stress and pain. Most patients report that a root canal is no more uncomfortable than a filling, and recovery time is minimal.
For the best chance of success with your root canal, look to a skillful Endodontist like Dr. Allen at Phoenix Endodontic Group. In her expert hands, you will be out of pain and smiling again in no time!
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Jul 21, 2014 | Blog, Business, Dentistry, Endodontics
Over the years, marketing strategies for a dental office have changed. There are some many different variables which affect the type of marketing, how much you spend, how you target patients, etc. The focus of this article will be on marketing for dental specialists (Perio, Endo, Oral Surgery, Pedo & Ortho). Because we are now in the throes of another hot summer in Central Arizona, we will focus on what marketing efforts to focus on in the summer months.
Phoenix Endodontic Group like many other dental specialists receive a significant portion of their patients from direct referrals from other dental offices and therefore the strategy all year round is to recognize which offices are sending you patients and which offices have the potential to do so. Staff should be aware and trained that every interaction with a referring office is an “opportunity” or “touch point.”
Some touch points are small, i.e a simple phone call to set up an appointment for the patient to go back to see the general dentist once treatment is completed. Some touch points are planned out as a Thank You to the office and a delivery of fresh baked goods for the staff to know how much their referrals mean to the specialist. These are marketing activities that should take place all year long, to keep all referring offices on the “radar screen” of the dental specialist.
In general terms, the flow of patients slows down in the Arizona summer. The snowbirds fly back to Minnesota, Iowa and the like and dentists with young families schedule summer activities with their families. Phoenix Endodontic Group has always found the 3rd quarter (summer) to be slower than the rest of the year. A good time to catch your breath, relax and slow down, right? Wrong! This should be the time of year when you go at the marketing as hard as you can.
If the third quarter is slower than others in a specialty dental office that means you will have staff with less tasks to do than normal. We say put them to work reaching out to your referral base. Everyone has different interpersonal skills. Send staff to meet and greet staff at your referral offices, that is a good way to spend any down time. Staff can also help produce marketing pieces and information to email to referring offices with something as simple as your summer hours or other important information.
We advocate using the summer to solidify your current relationships with offices that you might be taking for granted but are being wooed constantly by other specialty offices. Don’t let your office be a victim of “out of sight, out of mind.” A personal visit from your office to your top 20 referring offices during the summer months is a must.
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Jul 15, 2014 | Blog, Endodontics, Mission of Mercy, Phoenix Endodontic Group
This topic is an easy one for me to talk about because I am so proud of the way the endodontists in Central Arizona have come together to make the Central Arizona Dental Society Foundation’s annual Dental Mission of Mercy become a huge success in just three short years of hosting these events.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Arizona Dental Mission of Mercy, please visit www.azmom.org for more information, but in simple terms CADS AZMOM is a two day dental clinic held the 2nd weekend in December at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. Patients are treated at NO CHARGE to basic dental care on a first come, first served basis. This massive undertaking requires the services of 1,500 volunteers of which 300 are dentists.
For the past two years CADS AZMOM has treated approx. 3,700 patients and provided $2.7 million dollars in free dental care. Our upcoming event on December 12th-13th, 2014 promises to be the biggest event yet.
In 2013, the Endo Department performed approximately 212 root canals over the 2 days. This is an astounding figure relative to dental Mission’s of Mercy in other states. Dental supply companies as well as individual endodontists brought their own microscopes to the event for all who were performing endo to use. It was an extraordinary site to see the finest endodontists in Central Arizona sit down side by side to treat those members of the community who were in need.
As a founding board member and president-elect of CADSF I have a tremendous amount of appreciation for my fellow endodontists and the work they have done at CADS AZMOM. I can’t thank them enough, because without them those patients could possibly still been in pain with teeth that needed a root canal. We made an immediate difference in the lives of those less fortunate, using the skills we were given and a little spare time during the holiday season of giving. I want to personally thank my fellow endodontists and all who volunteer at CADS AZMOM.
We still need a lot of volunteers (non-dental as well as dental) for the 2014 CADS Arizona Mission of Mercy. Here’s how to become involved:
[email protected]
www.azmom.org
480-264-5676 Bri Miller, Event Coordinator
Thank you,
Jacqueline S. Allen, D.D.S., M.S.
President-Elect
Central Arizona Dental Society Foundation
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Jul 7, 2014 | Blog, Endodontics, Endodontist
Patients go to Phoenix Endodontist Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen for dental situations requiring expert or specialized care. One advanced procedure performed by Dr. Allen is called an Apicoectomy, which is a microsurgery performed when the root of the tooth is endangered.
To understand an apicoectomy, knowing about the structure of a tooth is helpful. Your tooth is made of a hard outer coating surrounding a soft pulp. Within this pulp are the tooth’s blood vessels and nerves, which extend through the root of your tooth. The tooth’s root(s) come to a point called the apex. When this point is compromised by infection, it becomes necessary to remove it is an apicoectomy.
Often, a previous root canal therapy that became infected or did not completely remove existing infection can be the cause of a problematic apex. Non-healing previously treated teeth are most likely to need apicoectomy. Sometimes the tooth has a large post that is hard to remove or the restorative on the coronal aspect of the tooth is compromised too much if trying to drill through it. Anatomical considerations can be a factor as well, Dr. Allen states.
During the apicoectomy, Dr. Allen will make a miniscule incision in your gum near the troublesome tooth. Through this access point, she enters the root structure of the tooth. With the help of a microscope and special tools, Dr. Allen removes the infected apex and ensures any infection in the surrounding area is thoroughly cleaned away. Once this process is complete, Dr. Allen cleans and seals the end of the tooth canal.
While you are recovering from your apicoectomy, you’ll want to heed a few details. Take care not to brush in the area until sutures are removed, Dr. Allen advises. “Use an ice pack to reduce any swelling that may occur and no heavy activity or exercise.”
If you need root canal therapy, it’s best to go to an endodontic expert like Dr. Allen to ensure the best outcome and minimize your risk for a future apicoectomy. If you are already facing this procedure, call Dr. Allen at Phoenix Endodontic Group immediately for the best outcome!
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Jun 16, 2014 | Blog, Dentistry, Endodontics
Like every other profession, dentistry is going through rapid change here in the early 21st century. Advances in technology, proliferation of the internet, changes to the healthcare system and better consumer awareness are all factors in the way dental services today are delivered to patients. Such is the case with general dentists and specialists (Endodontists) alike.
An endodontist is a dentist that specializes in root canals. Historically, there has been a strong partnership between a general dentist and the endodontist who was equipped to handle emergencies and cases that required the skills of a dental specialist. There has always been a strong bond between the general dentist and the endodontist, the general dentist likes to have the ability to call and refer a patient for a root canal, often times for an immediate appointment.
So the business model for a specialty office was to market your services to general dentists within a 3 mile radius of your office and wait for the phone to ring with referrals from general dentists. This model has worked very well for decades in dentistry. It would not be uncommon for an endodontic specialist to receive 100% of their revenue from general dentist referrals.
As mentioned above, times are indeed changing. The advent of rotary instrumentation began a trend of dental supply companies selling these files to general dentists and convincing them that they should no refer out root canals to specialists and instead perform these procedures in their own office. This greed on the part of the manufacturers has led to root canal treatment below the standard of care which has caused stress, pain and unnecessary discomfort to thousands of patients whose case should have been referred out from the beginning.
Additionally consumers are taking to the internet to search out their own solutions and dental specialists. So many patients now utilize corporate dentists or clinics for their primary dental care and when they need services beyond the scope or comfort level of a clinic, they seek out the specialist themselves. This change has brought about an increase of “self-referred” patients to the endodontist.
Lastly, recent changes to the healthcare system in the United States was intended to primarily affect medical treatment for patients, but it is slowly creeping into dentistry as well. The overall “dumbing down” of our system is causing some patients to expect that they should be entitled to specialized dental care for little or no cost to them. This is a disturbing trend, yet in the end it will cause patients who appreciate the special care to seek out those providers who can deliver that type of treatment.
Indeed times have changed and the typical endodontic office now sees about 80% of their revenue generated from direct referrals from general dentists. These relationships are all the more important so that the specialist and the general dentist are on the “same page” for the good of the patient.
by Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen | Jun 9, 2014 | Blog, Endodontics, Endodontist, Featured, Root Canal
Chances are that most adults know of root canal treatment, but may not know what it involves. Root canal therapy is an extremely effective way to repair cracked or decaying teeth and prevent tooth loss. Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen of Phoenix Endodontic Group explains how this procedure can help you restore a bad tooth and why you shouldn’t be fearful of a root canal.
Gone are the days when root canal treatment was a major ordeal that left a patient in pain. With today’s methods and technology, many patients report minimal discomfort and compare it to having a filling done.
During the procedure, the infected pulp of the tooth is removed, the inside cleaned thoroughly, and the tooth refilled. This process restores the structure of the tooth. Any discomfort from the repair is mild and can be easily managed by using over the counter pain medication. As well, the materials used in the procedure have changed over the years. At one point in time, the material used to fill the roots was silver. Now it is gutta percha with antibacterial sealer, says Dr. Allen.
With time and experience, Endodontists have developed best practices to minimize complications, especially for patients who have severe symptoms or an unusual anatomy. We now use a rubber dam screen for all root canal procedures. This is to isolate the tooth so no bacteria from saliva can get in the tooth, as well as keep all instruments and disinfectants from falling into the mouth and possibly down the throat, Dr. Allen mentions.
Additionally, microscopes with optimal lighting are used to clean out the tooth roots more thoroughly, she states. All of these accumulated improvements equate to a better outcome, less risk of complications, improved comfort, and a great likelihood that your root canal treatment will be successful.
Once you’ve noticed a problem, it’s important to get treatment right away. Once the tooth has irreversible pulpitis or necrosis, the problem will not go away on its own, Dr. Allen says. Acting quickly improves your odds of a successful repair. For additional questions on root canal treatment or to schedule your appointment, contact Phoenix Endodontic Group today!
Let’s face it, a root canal has been and always will be a much-dreaded procedure. Though the days of root canals being a painful process are long gone, chances are that a person still wishes to avoid the procedure. Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen of Phoenix Endodontic Group performs this effective treatment on a regular basis, and has the following to offer when patients ask how to prevent needing a root canal.